The invention is directed to a urinary diversion stent for placement in a ureter. More specifically, the invention is directed to a stent for use in conjunction with laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery.
Typical urinary diversion stents are designed to be placed either endoscopically or with an open surgical approach. With the advent of laparoscopic and robotic surgery, more reconstructive urologic procedures are being done via a minimally invasive approach. Unfortunately, laparoscopically-deployed, urinary diversion stents suffer from a variety of drawbacks. For example, they can be uncomfortable or irritating to the patient, such as is commonly caused by the use of a retaining mechanism that extends into the bladder. Furthermore, they can be difficult to remove and/or can require additional surgical intervention to address draining interference.
The robotic-assisted pyeloplasty has become a frequently practiced robotic surgery in children. However, there is no stent that meets three important functions: 1. easy laparoscopic/robotic deployment, 2. does not require a secondary procedure to remove, and 3. allows for trial and testing of the repair prior to removal. Typical ureteral stents cause bladder irritation and require either a secondary procedure for removal (and anesthetic for the pediatric population) or an external string hanging from genitalia for patient removal. Typical stents also lack any modality to test or study any anastomosis. Other internal/external stents (e.g., Salle Stent or KISS) are designed to be placed with an open technique, and laparoscopic deployment is unsatisfactory. Further, the KISS lacks a self-retaining device and the Salle Stent has an internal coil that is prone to dislodgment.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a system and method for performing robotic-assisted pyeloplasty and associated procedures that does not suffer from the disadvantages of employing traditional urinary diversion stents, particularly when performing pediatric robotic-assisted pyeloplasty.